2026 state court fee data · North Carolina
Divorce in North Carolina
Recorded at $225 - mid-pack among the civil filings in North Carolina, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Divorce in North Carolina: $225 on max-fee among states for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, North Carolina sits in the lower third of recorded max fees ($225). North Carolina records a long end of the waiting-period distribution for this filing (365 days). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (6 steps). California lists the highest divorce filing-fee ceiling at $435 among 10 states for this filing; that is not the longest wait: North Carolina records 365 days on a $225 ceiling.
Divorce figures for North Carolina are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among North Carolina civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in North Carolina - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare divorce with another state
Start with North Carolina, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where divorce sits among North Carolina filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in North Carolina, divorce ranks 6 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in North Carolina. Neighbours: Guardianship at $250 and Eviction at $150.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
8 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; North Carolina records 365 days.
The North Carolina row lists 6 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
Filing fee ~$225 in most counties. Additional fees for service. Fee waivers (IFP) available.
North Carolina's low-band fee among states
North Carolina sits in the lower third of this filing's state cohort at $225 (rank #9 of 10 by max fee).
Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →
Key Requirements
- Must be separated at least 1 year before filing
- File Complaint for Absolute Divorce in District Court
- Serve spouse (30-day response period)
- Final hearing before judge
- No waiting period after filing (year already served)
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
Separate for 1 full year with intent to end marriage
- 2
File Complaint for Absolute Divorce in District Court
- 3
Serve spouse
- 4
Spouse has 30 days to respond
- 5
Schedule hearing (uncontested hearings often same-day)
- 6
Judge signs Judgment of Absolute Divorce
Important Notes
North Carolina requires 1-year separation before divorce. Property/custody claims must be filed separately.
Grounds / Eligibility
No-fault only: must be separated for 1 full year
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- CLERK schedule band
- Wait stamp
- LONG clock band
- Filing Fee
- $225
- Residency
- One spouse must have been a North Carolina resident for 6 months
- Waiting Period
- 365 days
- Typical Timeline
- Minimum 1 year separation + 30-60 days after filing. Total: 13-15 months.
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in North Carolina
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's CLERK stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with divorce in North Carolina's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for divorce How to file for divorce
- See how every state compares on divorce filing fees View state rankings
- Check where this fee sits against every other filing we track Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |